Category: Middle East

Damascus, the beauty is under the surface

It was with anticipation and excitement we left Beirut for Syria and Damascus. We did not know what to expect; would we feel welcome? I joined this group with Against the Compass, and five...

Syria, it is the people that suffer

Some will say you support Bashar al-Assad’s regime if you go to Syria. I want to emphasize; I support the people of Syria. They are the suffering victims of boycotts and blockades. I did...

Tyre and Sidon, the cradel of history

Two essential cities from the Phoenician era were Tyre and Sidon. Both were flourishing commercial centers for international trade. On the UNESCO list, you will find the Roman-era architecture of Tyre. At the same...

Tripoli, where is the danger?

You can read and hear many places that Tripoli is an unsafe city to visit. Maybe it is, but so are so many other places worldwide; I had an exciting day in the city....

Beirut, the former Paris of the east

For decades Beirut was touristically a no-man`s-land—the 15-years civil war descent into anarchy. Today Beirut might lack the old-world charm, but the restoration of Ottoman- and French-era architecture is eminently present. Downtown is the...

Lebanon, a green oasis in the middle east

Nature has been good to Lebanon; it has the sea, beaches, green wallies, forests, vineyards, snowy mountains, and still a tiny country. All this abundance has also been its curse since so many people...

Wadi Rum, caravans have journeyed here for millennia.

Wadi Rum was once part of the Silkroad, and goods were transported between different cultures in this desolate landscape. T.E. Lawrence Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T.E.Lawrence, who...